Archive

In late 2011, as part of our outreach to new communities, the OHRC launched two new versions of its popular e-learning module, Human Rights 101. The two new versions offer users information on human rights history, principles, legislation and policies in Arabic and in Spanish. We’re also working on 11 other languages – Italian, Korean, Punjabi, Portuguese, Somali, Tamil, Tagalog), Urdu, Vietnamese, Chinese (Cantonese) and Chinese (Mandarin).

Since 2005, the OHRC has been working with the Ministry of Education to build on the positive structural and policy changes reached in the “safe schools” settlement, which changed the way Ontario schools managed discipline. This is reducing the disproportionate effect that certain policies and practices have on racialized students and students with disabilities, among others. We are very pleased to advise that all of the terms of the settlement have now been implemented.

Moving forward with transit In 2011, the OHRC reached settlements with the cities of Hamilton, Greater Sudbury and Thunder Bay in three transit-based cases at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. We filed the complaints in 2009 to increase accessibility for riders with vision disabilities by ensuring the transit services called out all transit stops.

New guide shares our experience As part of our ongoing work with police across the province, we released a new guide. Human rights and policing: creating and sustaining organizational change aims to encourage and support police services across Ontario in building human rights into all their work.

Zoning in on zoning Every day, people across Ontario face barriers to finding or keeping rental housing because of disability, age, race, creed, sexual orientation, disability, receipt of social assistance, family status, and other grounds of the Human Rights Code. These barriers often arise because landlords make assumptions about people based on characteristics that usually have nothing to do with their ability to be good tenants.

In the past year, we have been reaching out and supporting a number of groups and sectors to help promote and protect rights for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender persons. For example, we have continued to support efforts by various organizations to have gender identity added as an explicit ground of the Ontario Human Rights Code. Transgender individuals continue to be very marginalized in society. Recognizing this explicitly would send a strong message that transgender persons must enjoy the same human rights protections as all other Ontarians.

In August 2011, after lengthy litigation, a settlement was reached on a human rights complaint filed by Michael McKinnon against the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS). The settlement included creating a three-year Human Rights Project Charter agreement among MCSCS, the Ministry of Government Services (MGS) and the OHRC.

Some long identified human rights issues have been very slow to change. The discrimination faced by Aboriginal peoples continues, and is hugely damaging. Informing Aboriginal peoples about their human rights is a first step, while the OHRC builds relationships to exchange information and learn. In the past year, the OHRC has:

From the very beginning 50 years ago, Ontario’s Human Rights Code included protection from discrimination because of creed. Half a century later, creed continues to be an area of discussion and sometimes conflict in communities across Ontario and across Canada.

2011-2012 was a year of celebrations. We began the year by celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and ended it by getting ready for June 15, 2012 – the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Human Rights Code. These milestones offered a time for reflection on where we started, the progress we have made, and the work we need to do so the next generation can continue to advance human rights in Ontario.

Barbara Hall – Appointed November 2005 Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and former Mayor of Toronto, has served for more than 40 years as a community worker, lawyer, municipal politician and champion of a grassroots approach to community-building.  

2011-2012 was a year of celebrations. We began the year by celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and ended it by getting ready for June 15, 2012 – the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Human Rights Code. These milestones offered a time for reflection on where we started, the progress we have made, and the work we need to do so the next generation can continue to advance human rights in Ontario.

I am writing to comment on proposed amendments to the city’s zoning by-laws that would include new definitions for ‘Opioid Substitution Therapy Clinics’ and ‘Methadone Dispensaries’ and differentiate them from other clinics, medical clinics or professional offices. As noted in the City’s staff report GP-2012-03, the effect of this differentiation would be to identify opioid substitution treatment and services as distinct uses and “to require any such new uses to be specifically zoned for that purpose”.

2012 - Racial harassment may be based on a combination of any of the above characteristics. It may also be because of things related to them, such as if you wear clothing related to your background, speak with an accent or practice a certain religion. It is against the law for anyone to harass you, insult you, or treat you unfairly for any of these reasons.

June 28, 2012 - We’ve spent the past several months looking at the findings from our province-wide policy consultation on the human rights issues experienced by people with mental health disabilities and addictions. The report is scheduled for release in September 2012. (Volume no.2 No. 1.)

Toronto - The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has awarded Rawle Maynard $40,000 after the Toronto man was found to have been racially profiled by a Toronto Police Service officer.

Your Worship, I am writing to comment on By-Law Number 3636, which establishes “interim control provisions for the town of Tillsonburg to prohibit the establishment of new methadone clinics and methadone dispensaries for an interim period of up to one year in order to permit the completion of a planning study on the potential regulation of these uses.”

Toronto – June 15 is the 50th anniversary of Ontario’s Human Rights Code – the first such code in Canada. To mark this important event, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (the OHRC) is working with partners across Ontario to look back at human rights over the 50 years, and look ahead to the human rights of tomorrow. Highlights include a commemorative plaque and the “Proclamation Project” with municipalities across Ontario.

November 2024 Chief Commissioner Special Advisor to the Chief Commissioner (reports to Executive Advisor) Administrative Scheduling Coordinator (reports to Executive Advisor) Executive Director

Working, buying a home Ontario’s pioneering Fair Employment Practices Act of 1951 prohibited discriminatory employment practices, and a year earlier the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act was amended to end real estate provisions that required someone buying a house to agree that their property “shall never be sold, assigned, transferred, leased to, and shall never been occupied by any person of Jewish, Hebrew, Semitic, Negro or coloured race or blood.”

Seventy organizations demand law to end racial discrimination Representatives of nearly 70 organizations, including several hundred men and women, will meet Premier Frost at Queen’s Park today to present a brief urging passage of legislation to deal with racial and religious discrimination. Source: Toronto Daily Star, January 24, 1950

In July 1977, the OHRC released a comprehensive report, Life Together, that outlined the findings of a province-wide consultation on the Ontario Human Rights Code and what could be done to improve it. The report recommended sweeping changes, many of which would eventually become law. Recommendations included:

Municipalities play a critical role in nurturing human rights and creating equitable environments where everyone is included in work and services, and everyone can enjoy the benefits of their community. That’s why we invited every municipality in Ontario to join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Code.

This submission outlines recent developments for the reporting period June 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012 related to discrimination in employment and the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (the OHRC) mandate. It includes OHRC activities, recent case law and comment regarding relevant ILO Committee observations and direct requests.

Tarek Fatah is wrong to suggest I or anyone else “forced” Toronto Police to allow Khalsa Sikhs to wear kirpans in courtrooms. Acting Deputy Chief Jeff McGuire said the police were “pleased to have worked cooperatively to arrive at a procedure which recognizes the needs and rights of the Sikh community and the obligation to provide a safe, secure and accessible courthouse environment."